Yesterday afternoon, Amy and I went with J and Hannah Hall, Mark and Julia Smallwood, Chris and Chandra Clark, one college student, and about 10 youth group members to Breakout Tuscaloosa.

If you are not familiar with Breakout it is a game house where you and up to seven friends are locked in a room and given clues that solve riddles. These riddles help you unlock locks and more clues until you reach a final clue that lets you out of the room. One room had a Bates’ Motel theme, another a School Detention theme, and ours was a classic Who Done It?.

You have an hour.

My group – the adults failed. The Breakout hosts said we had the most difficult room. I believe her, although she may have been trying to make us feel better about failing.

We Failed. 😦

Last night I kept thinking about the game and how we could have played it better. I thought about the clues they gave us to help (each room could ask for three free clues). And I thought about life.

Although our group failed – even with a few clues from the staff who are watching via live video feed – we came close. I think we could have succeeded in breaking out if we had followed these simple guidelines:

1. Follow the instructions more closely. We started out that way, but soon were a little chaotic in our efforts.
2. Work better as a team. I think we did well, but there was room for improvement. We could have communicated better.
3. Listen to the room hosts (who also helped design the room) more closely. Sometimes, even when they gave clues, I was so busy thinking, I was not really listening closely enough.
4. Work the smaller goals (the riddles and locks) but don’t forget the overall goal – Breaking Out!
5. Have fun!

As I look back at these guidelines, I realize they apply to life and to our aim to break out of sin and live eternally in Heaven.

• Follow the guidelines – Read God’s Word and apply it.
• Work as a team – this is what church is about. I need others working with me to achieve our common goal.
• Listen to the Host (Designer) – He knows this world and where we are going better than we do.
• Don’t forget the ultimate goal – To be present with the Lord and absent from the body.
• Have fun! Be content, be joyous, be happy in Christ.

-Scott